The lead acid battery, invented by Gaston Planté 1859, can be regarded as the oldest type of rechargeable battery. Despite having a relatively low energy density as compared to other chemistries, generally-available lead acid batteries are simple in construction and economical. Such generally-available lead acid batteries are used in automotive, traction, and stationary applications such as for ignition or for starting internal combustion engines; for lighting; for applications such as motorized wheelchairs, golf carts or fork lifts; or for other applications such as electrical energy storage when coupled to the electric grid.
A lead acid battery generally includes a lead alloy current collector, positive and negative active materials, an electrolyte, separators, and a mechanical support casing. The positive active material generally contains a high-surface-area lead dioxide, whereas the negative active material generally contains spongy lead. The electrolyte is generally sulfuric acid. In generally-available lead acid batteries, a lead alloy is used for the current collectors because of the compatibility of the lead alloy with lead acid chemistry.
Widespread use of lead acid batteries can be attributed at least in part to their simplicity, both in terms of structure and in relation to associated signal conditioning or charging circuitry. A major advantage of the lead acid battery is its low cost. Lead metal is relatively abundant, and an acid, H2SO4, is a widely-produced bulk chemical. In addition, the manufacturing process for generally-available lead acid batteries is relatively simple. The cost structure of generally-available lead-acid-battery-based energy storage results in an overall cost of around $150/kWh, which can be attractive compared to other energy storage technologies.